360 Caxakies axd Cage-Birds. 



such a receptacle grasses and fibres of all kinds will be carried and formed into a nest ; and 

 four to six light blue eggs of large size will soon be laid. The hen-bird sits very steadily on them, 

 being fed by the male, who will always hover near the nest, but never condescend to keep 

 the eggs warm himself. The eggs are hatched in about thirteen days, and the young are 

 diligently fed by their parents, but mostly by the male. Many broods are, however, forsaken 

 after a few days, and I have also found the young birds frequently thrown out of the 

 nest when four to eight days old. Other breeders have been more successful, and have 

 reared broods of Blue-birds repeatedly. To do so requires much patience and perseverance, 

 and a supply of fresh food every two or three hours from sunrise to sunset. Mealworms, fresh 

 ants' eggs, raw beef scraped fine, and egg-food should be given in small quantities as many times 

 per day as the young brood requires to be fed. In about twenty-five days from the date of 

 hatching the young birds leave the nest, and their plumage resembles that of the female. 



In the Zoological Gardens of London, Blue-birds were bred as long ago as i86g, and again 

 in 1870. Since then they have been bred repeatedly by many amateurs. 



MOCKING-BIRD [Mimus polyghUus), North America. 

 Tunhis polyglottus (Russ), Orpheics polyglottus. German — " Spottdrossel. " 



According to American writers, the Mocking-bird is, of all cage-birds, the very best songster, 

 an opinion which is, however, not generally shared in Europe. Mocking-birds are traqs-Atlantic 

 cousins of our Song Thrush, and to me the song of our Thrush always seemed much preferable. 

 It may be, however, that the comparison is not quite fair, nearly all the Mocking-birds 

 arriving in Europe having been taken from the nest and brought up by hand, therefore without 

 opportunity to learn their parents' song to perfection. Even in America the talent of individual 

 birds varies considerably, and first-rate songsters are sometimes sold at very high prices. 



The home of the Mocking-bird is North America. In the Southern States he remains 



summer and winter, whilst in the Northern States he disappears late in autumn and migrates 



. south. His habits resemble closely those of our Blackbird. Quick in his movements and very 



intelligent, he is at first somewhat shy, and approaches human habitations warily, but once 



assured that no harm will befall him, he becomes bold and quite confident after a time. 



The plumage is sober and yet prettily marked, the predominant colour being light grey, with 

 black and white marks. The male is distinguished from the female by having a white band 

 extending over all the feathers of each wing, and forming when the wing is spread almost a 

 crescent, whilst the female has a white mark on only the outer wing-feathers. 



In confinement the Mocking-bird is fed exactly like a Thrush or Blackbird, and will live a 

 long time, say ten to fifteen years. In America he is frequently fed on boiled potatoes, mixed 

 with boiled &gg, and also on damp maw-seed meal, which is maw-seed from which the oil has 

 been extracted. In Europe, however, he seems to thrive best on Thrush's food. As an inmate 

 of an aviary the Mocking-bird is to be avoided, for he will boldly attack any bird of his own 

 size, and is likely to kill birds smaller than himself. 



In his wild state this bird builds his nest like our Thrushes and Blackbirds, in forks of 

 branches, or into the crown of a bush, in gardens or small plantations. A pair will unhesitat- 

 ingly build a nest in confinement when circumstances are at all favourable, and will then avail 

 themselves of an artificial basis for a nest. In my own aviary they repeatedly built a nest of 

 hay, grass, and fibres into a little German Canary-cage, from which the bottom was removed, 

 and which was then hung upside down against the aviary wall. They lay from three to seven 

 bluish-green eggs with brownish spots, and hatch them without much difficulty. But rearing 



